Year in Review: At the end of July, Padilla was 8-5 with a 4.66 ERA for a team in second place, three games behind the AL West Division-leading Mariners. After one more start, the Rangers released him, an indication of how much baggage comes along with his powerful right arm. Padilla was not out of work long, as the Dodgers picked him up for the stretch run. He went 4-0 and the Dodgers went 6-1 in his starts. Padilla was so impressive that he made three starts in the playoffs, including seven innings of shutout ball in the decisive game of the NLDS. He had a similar batted-ball profile with both the Rangers and the Dodgers. The big difference was that in the National League, Padilla had a 3.17 K/BB ratio, compared to a 1.40 mark in the American League. He had much more success with his breaking stuff with the Dodgers. Both his curve and slider were below-average pitches while with the Rangers. But in Los Angeles, his slider was essentially a league-average pitch, while his curve was 2.1 runs above average.

The Year Ahead: The Dodgers re-signed Padilla to a one-year contract. If he is able to maintain his focus and pitch for the full season like he did in September, Padilla could be one of the biggest bargains around. He had an 8.69 K/9 in the NL last year, which would have been the 13th-best mark in baseball if he had had enough innings to qualify. Padilla also showed great improvement in his BB/9 and had a 1.22 WHIP with the Dodgers. If everything falls into place, Padilla could be a low-end No. 2 pitcher. He will be the fourth pitcher in Los Angeles, a good balance between the upside of stuff and the downside of his other issues. (Brian Joura)

Profile: After bombing out in Texas, Padilla experienced a career resurgence in Los Angeles, turning in useful performances for the Dodgers in between stints on the disabled list. Arm problems limited him to just 16 starts last year, but he was effective when he did take the mound. Questions about his durability caused the Dodgers to sign Jon Garland to hold down their #5 starter job, however, and now Padilla is looking at a role in the Dodgers bullpen. It’s actually one he’s well suited for, as his career numbers against left-handers are nothing short of atrocious. If used primarily to combat right-handed hitters, Padilla could be an excellent setup man, and depending on how Jonathan Broxton performs, he could even be an option for saves from time to time. If you’re looking for cheap relievers to give you a good ERA, some strikeouts, and an outside chance at stealing some save opportunities, Padilla is not a bad place to invest. (Dave Cameron)

The Quick Opinion: Career starter looks headed to the bullpen for 2011, and he could thrive in his new role. A legitimate option to steal a few saves and potentially take the closer's job if Broxton falters.

Profile: After throwing only 8.2 innings for the Dodgers last season, Padilla underwent surgery to fuse vertebrae in his neck. It's unclear whether he'll ever pitch again -- let alone effectively, but the Red Sox will give him a shot in some capacity. (Chris Cwik)

Profile: Padilla has taken to relieving much like a die-hard fan of the original Star Trek movies takes to unjustly criticizing J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies. Padilla has walked the same percentage of batters since converting to relief (8.0% as a starter, 8.1% as a reliever), but he has upped his strikeout rate significantly in relief (16.1 K% as a starter, 23.9% as a reliever). Padilla still managed to post an abysmal 1.48 WHIP a season ago, but much of that could land at the feet of the Red Sox defense. Heading into 2012, the highest batting average on balls in play that Padilla had posted in the nine seasons in which he had tossed 50 or more innings was .319. Last season, he blew right past that number, as his BABIP was .366. Padilla didn't see a dramatic shift in any of his batted ball percentages that might help explain explain the BABIP jump. Unfortunately for those looking for holds from a starter, Padilla signed with a Japanese team for 2013. (Paul Swydan)

The Quick Opinion: Now a non-closing reliever, Padilla doesn't fit any of the traditional fantasy roles, but if you're in a league that counts holds in Nippon Professional Baseball, Padilla could end up being a cheap source of points.